Editing Businessing LLC v Runway AI Inc

'''Businessing LLC, doing business as Ali Spagnola, v. Runway AI, Inc.''' is a class action lawsuit filed on February 27, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Los Angeles), alleging violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) for unauthorized scraping of YouTube videos to train Runway AI's generative models.<ref>[https://www.mishcon.com/generative-ai-intellectual-property-cases-and-policy-tracker Mishcon de Reya - AI IP Policy Tracker]</ref><ref>[https://chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Businessing-LLC-v.-Runway-AI-Inc.-COMPLAINT-Feb-27-2026.pdf Businessing LLC v. Runway AI, Inc. - Complaint]</ref> The case is part of a broader wave of litigation targeting AI companies' harvesting of publicly available content without authorization.

== Parties ==

=== Plaintiff ===
Businessing LLC, a California-based media company operating the YouTube channel @alispagnola, owned by Ali Spagnola. The channel has over 2.59 million subscribers and has generated millions of views. Spagnola creates comedy, music, and fitness content.<ref>[https://www.law360.com/articles/2447980/another-youtuber-sues-runway-ai-over-alleged-scraping Law360: Another YouTuber Sues Runway AI]</ref>

=== Defendant ===
Runway AI, Inc., a New York-based AI company developing generative video models including Gen-3 Alpha. Runway is reportedly valued in the multi-billion-dollar range.<ref>[https://www.mishcon.com/generative-ai-intellectual-property-cases-and-policy-tracker Mishcon de Reya - AI IP Policy Tracker]</ref>

== Allegations ==

The complaint alleges Runway AI violated 17 U.S.C. Section 1201(a)(1) by circumventing YouTube's technological protection measures (TPMs) to scrape and download over 1,200 of Ali Spagnola's copyrighted videos.<ref>[https://chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Businessing-LLC-v.-Runway-AI-Inc.-COMPLAINT-Feb-27-2026.pdf Businessing LLC v. Runway AI, Inc. - Complaint]</ref>

=== Circumvention of Technological Protection Measures ===
YouTube employs several technical measures to prevent bulk downloading, including:
* Rate limiting on video downloads
* IP blocking for suspicious activity
* Terms of Service prohibiting scraping and automated downloads

The complaint alleges Runway deliberately bypassed these measures using:
* Rotating IP addresses to evade detection
* Virtual machines and cloud infrastructure
* Automated tools to mass-download millions of copyrighted videos<ref>[https://chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Businessing-LLC-v.-Runway-AI-Inc.-COMPLAINT-Feb-27-2026.pdf Businessing LLC v. Runway AI, Inc. - Complaint]</ref>

=== Training Dataset Use ===
The scraped videos--including Spagnola's content--allegedly served as training data for Runway's Gen-3 and other generative video models capable of producing text-to-video and image-to-video outputs. The lawsuit claims this provided Runway with commercial gain while violating creators' exclusive rights.<ref>[https://www.law360.com/articles/2447980/another-youtuber-sues-runway-ai-over-alleged-scraping Law360: Another YouTuber Sues Runway AI]</ref>

=== Willful Conduct ===
The complaint emphasizes that Runway, as a sophisticated AI company, made conscious choices to circumvent YouTube's TPMs rather than pursue lawful licensing, depriving creators of control over their works and the ability to monetize their content.<ref>[https://chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Businessing-LLC-v.-Runway-AI-Inc.-COMPLAINT-Feb-27-2026.pdf Businessing LLC v. Runway AI, Inc. - Complaint]</ref>

== Legal Claims ==

# '''DMCA Section 1201(a)(1) Anti-Circumvention''' -- Unlawful circumvention of technological measures controlling access to copyrighted works<ref>[https://chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Businessing-LLC-v.-Runway-AI-Inc.-COMPLAINT-Feb-27-2026.pdf Businessing LLC v. Runway AI, Inc. - Complaint]</ref>

== Class Action ==

The case is filed as a class action on behalf of "independent YouTube content creators whose videos were scraped by Runway AI." The class is defined by common questions including:
* Runway's circumvention methods
* Willfulness of the conduct
* Class-wide injury to creators whose content was taken without authorization<ref>[https://chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Businessing-LLC-v.-Runway-AI-Inc.-COMPLAINT-Feb-27-2026.pdf Businessing LLC v. Runway AI, Inc. - Complaint]</ref>

== Relief Sought ==

Plaintiff seeks:
* Statutory damages under the DMCA
* Injunctive relief
* Restitution of profits
* Attorneys' fees and costs
* Other appropriate remedies<ref>[https://www.mishcon.com/generative-ai-intellectual-property-cases-and-policy-tracker Mishcon de Reya - AI IP Policy Tracker]</ref>

== Related Cases ==

Businessing LLC's suit is part of a cluster of similar DMCA cases targeting Runway AI:
* '''Ace Cam, Inc. v. Runway AI, Inc.''' -- Filed February 18, 2026, in the Southern District of New York (1:26-cv-01698). This case has been '''consolidated''' with Businessing LLC's action.<ref>[https://www.law360.com/articles/2447980/another-youtuber-sues-runway-ai-over-alleged-scraping Law360: Another YouTuber Sues Runway AI]</ref><ref name="benesch">[https://www.beneschlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AI-Reporter_April-2026.pdf Benesch AI Reporter, April 2026]</ref>
* '''David Vance Gardner v. Runway AI, Inc.''' -- Filed February 23, 2026; consolidated with Businessing LLC and Ace Cam actions<ref>[https://www.law360.com/articles/2447980/another-youtuber-sues-runway-ai-over-alleged-scraping Law360: Another YouTuber Sues Runway AI]</ref><ref name="benesch" />

=== Case Consolidation ===

The Ace Cam, Inc. (d/b/a Random Golf Club) action, filed February 18, 2026, in the Southern District of New York, has been '''consolidated''' with the Businessing LLC (d/b/a Ali Spagnola) action.<ref name="benesch" /> Both cases allege that Runway AI circumvented YouTube's technological protection measures to scrape video content for training its generative models, and the consolidation enables coordinated pretrial proceedings.

== Procedural History ==

{| class="wikitable"
|+
! Date !! Event
|-
| February 18, 2026 || Ace Cam, Inc. v. Runway AI filed in S.D.N.Y.
|-
| February 23, 2026 || Gardner v. Runway AI filed
|-
| February 27, 2026 || Businessing LLC v. Runway AI filed in C.D. Cal.
|}

== Significance ==

The case highlights the growing tension between:
* AI companies' use of publicly available web content for training
* Creators' rights under the DMCA's anti-circumvention provisions
* Platform terms of service as a basis for liability

The DMCA claim differs from traditional copyright infringement claims by focusing on the *method* of acquisition (circumventing TPMs) rather than the *use* of content post-acquisition. This legal theory avoids some fair use defenses while potentially exposing AI companies to statutory damages.<ref>[https://www.copyrightalliance.org/copyright-stories-february-2026/ Copyright Alliance - Copyright Stories February 2026]</ref>

== Case Information ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! Item !! Details
|-
| Full Caption || Businessing LLC v. Runway AI, Inc.
|-
| Court || U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
|-
| Filed || February 27, 2026
|-
| Cause of Action || DMCA Section 1201(a)(1) anti-circumvention
|-
| Class Action || Yes
|-
|}

== See Also ==
* [[News Ali-Spagnola-v-Runway-AI-YouTube-Scraping-2026|April 25, 2026 -- YouTuber Ali Spagnola Sues Runway AI Over Alleged Video Scraping]]
* [[Ted Entertainment v OpenAI Inc]] -- Similar DMCA action against OpenAI (April 2026)
* [[Cases]] -- Full list of AI-related litigation

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Copyright Litigation]]
[[Category:Copyright Law]]
[[Category:DMCA]]
[[Category:Cases Against Runway]]